Jack Ferguson - French
Jack Ferguson - French
When I was thinking of a possible focus for my Extended Essay, I took the
best part of ten seconds to decide what I wanted to write about.
La Haine is my favourite film, and I jumped at the opportunity to study it
and the reality it is based on. So began a summer of searching through
endless archives and newspaper articles, of watching and re-watching,
and of trying to put what was in my head on paper. I was very lucky to
have had the opportunity to write about something I loved, and despite
having now watched La Haine 50 times over, it is still my favourite film.
Supervisor: Alison Maynard
Giving himself the huge challenge of writing 4000 words in French, Jack
combined his passion for French cinema and his interest in contemporary
France in the choice of his Extended Essay. He looked at the film
La Haine, a film he had loved and seen many times, not only from the
artistic point of view but also as a representation of the difficulties of
life in the Parisian banlieue, areas he had been familiar with as a child.
Jack’s main challenge was to limit the extent of his question and to plan
the essay, but once he had a clear structure he worked independently
and enthusiastically, reading widely around the subject and analysing the
film in detail. Although his French is not perfect, he expresses himself
fluently and with clarity. He showed all the best qualities of a supervisee:
curiosity for his subject, independence and enthusiasm.
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